Alternate Roots, Inc.
Alternate Roots, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit coalition founded in 1976 that supports ~640 southern artists and cultural workers through direct grants, fiscal sponsorship, membership, and community gatherings including ROOTS Week.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1976
- HeadquartersAtlanta, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Alternate Roots, Inc. does
Alternate Roots, Inc. (operating as Alternate ROOTS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, member-driven coalition founded in 1976 at the Highlander Center in New Market, Tennessee to support artists and cultural workers in the US South whose work is rooted in community and oriented toward social, economic, and racial justice. Originally the Regional Organization of Theaters South, it has evolved into a multidisciplinary network serving ~640 voting, general, and organizational members across roughly four regional anchors (Upsouth, Mid-South, South East Coast, Gulf Coast), plus a mailing-list network of 4,000+ contacts. Programs center on direct artist funding (the longest-running Artistic Assistance grants at $250–$3,000), multi-year partnership funding programs, fiscal sponsorship that confers 501(c)(3) status to small arts projects, and community-building mechanisms including ROOTS Week (annual retreat), hyper-local Rhizomes gatherings, and eight Work Groups (including a youth track, YOOTS). Between 2017 and 2022 the organization distributed $3.4 million directly to artists through its funding programs.
Alternate Roots, Inc. firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Alternate Roots, Inc.
- Legal name
- Alternate ROOTS
- Website
- https://alternateroots.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1976
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Alternate Roots, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit coalition founded in 1976 that supports ~640 southern artists and cultural workers through direct grants, fiscal sponsorship, membership, and community gatherings including ROOTS Week.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Alternate Roots, Inc. industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Arts Nonprofit Services
- NAICS
- Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Indigenous, Ethnic & Folk Arts/Heritage Organizations (BPAGAHAI)
Keywords
Where Alternate Roots, Inc. is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Atlanta
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Alternate Roots, Inc. business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Membership Dues: Annual membership dues at $40/year for General, Voting, and Organizational members. This provides access to funding programs, networking, and governance participation.
- Individual Donations: Direct monetary donations from individuals supporting artists and cultural workers. Includes tribute giving and planned giving for future sustainability.
- Corporate/Organizational Sponsorship: Monetary or in-kind donations from organizations and businesses. Contact via form or phone.
- Fiscal Sponsorship Fees: Provides 501(c)(3) status to small arts organizations for grant applications and donations, collecting a fee based on total donations received.
- In-Kind Gifts: Accepts lodging donations (retreat spaces, hotels, rental housing), transportation (vouchers, miles, airfare), and professional development supplies for artists.
- ROOTS Week Registration: Ticket sales for annual retreat with sliding scale pricing from $50 to $1,200, including on-campus lodging, meals, and programming access.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Annual membership for individual artists and cultural workers |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | ROOTS Week Single Occupancy On-Campus (Non-Subsidized) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | ROOTS Week Double/Triple Occupancy On-Campus (Non-Subsidized) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | ROOTS Week Double/Triple Occupancy On-Campus (Subsidized - Sold Out) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | ROOTS Week YOOTS (Ages 18-25) Subsidized |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | ROOTS Week Youth (4-17) Subsidized |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | ROOTS Week Child (0-3) Subsidized |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | ROOTS Week 5-Day Meals Only Off-Campus (Non-Subsidized) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | ROOTS Week 1-Day Meals Only Off-Campus (Non-Subsidized) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | ROOTS Week 5-Day Meals Only Off-Campus (Subsidized) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | ROOTS Week 1-Day Meals Only Off-Campus (Subsidized) |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Payment Plans Available |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Artistic Assistance Professional Development Grants |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels10 records
Alternate Roots, Inc. product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Alternate ROOTS is a member-driven nonprofit coalition providing financial resources, professional development, and community-building services to artists and cultural workers in the US South. Core offerings include annual membership dues, direct grant funding through the Artistic Assistance program, fiscal sponsorship for small arts organizations, and the annual ROOTS Week retreat. The organization operates as a participatory network where Voting Members serve as the Board of Directors, with regional gatherings and Work Groups supporting members across 15 southern states.
Product overview
Alternate ROOTS operates as a coalition/network rather than a single software product. The organization offers a portfolio of funding programs (Artistic Assistance, Fiscal Sponsorship, Partners for Change, Partners in Action, Advancing Well-Being in the Arts), membership tiers (General, Voting, Organizational), and community-building initiatives (ROOTS Week annual retreat, ROOTS Rhizomes local gatherings, Work Groups). The core offering is the network itself—connecting artists and cultural workers across the US South through financial support, community gatherings, and governance participation.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- ROOTS Membership Annual membership program for individual artists, cultural workers, and arts organizations in the US South. Three tiers: General Members (entry-level), Voting Members ($40/year, who serve as the Board of Directors and govern the organization), and Organizational Members ($40/year, for companies, ensembles, and cooperatives). Members access funding programs, networking, and governance participation.
- Artistic Assistance Direct grant funding program for ROOTS members providing Professional Development awards of $250-$3,000 for capacity building and Project Development support for creating and presenting artistic work. New members (joined Jan 30, 2025 - Jan 30, 2026) eligible for up to $1,500.
- Fiscal Sponsorship Program Provides 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status to small arts and culture organizations, individual projects, one-time collaborations, or new organizations so they can apply for grants and receive tax-deductible donations. Alternate ROOTS collects a percentage-based fee on total donations received.
- ROOTS Week Annual Retreat Annual 5-day retreat bringing together artists and cultural workers from across the US South for creativity, community building, strategic planning, and celebration. Includes on-campus lodging, three meals per day, and programming such as art sharing, critical conversations, dancing, Late Night cabaret, and governance activities. Ticketed through Eventbrite with sliding-scale pricing.
- Partners in Action An 18-month funding and technical support program for artist-partnership projects in grassroots communities throughout the US South. Highlights the combination of art and organizing. Not accepting applications in 2026.
- Partners for Change Alternate ROOTS' first multi-year funding program, enabling deep investment in artist-community partnerships that imagine and practice racial justice. Not accepting applications in 2026.
- Advancing Well-Being in the Arts A program offered through participation in the National Arts Partnership, designed to promote economic and cultural justice. Not accepting applications in 2026.
Quantifiable outcome
- $3.4 million distributed directly to artists through funding programs (2017-2022)
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Alternate Roots, Inc.
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Alternate Roots, Inc. technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration8 records
Alternate Roots, Inc. partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Intercultural Leadership Institute (ILI)corePartner organization building coalitions across the South and nation. Works with Alternate ROOTS to ensure art and culture are interwoven in movements for change. Listed as partner organization on community page.
- Southern Movement AssemblycoreCoalition partner working at the intersection of art and organizing in the South. Alternate ROOTS builds coalitions with Southern Movement Assembly to ensure cultural work is part of regional justice movements.
- Southern Power FundcoreFund organization supporting southern movement building. Partner in coalition building to advance social and economic justice through cultural organizing across the US South.
- EventbriteminorTicketing platform for ROOTS Week registration. Used for processing ticket purchases for both on-campus and off-campus attendance options.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Alternate Roots, Inc. competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- National Assembly of State Arts Agencies (NASAA): Membership association of US state and territorial arts agencies. Adjacent infrastructure that influences funding flows into regional arts organizations like Alternate ROOTS.
- Dance/USA: National service organization for the professional dance field. Different discipline but functionally a national membership-driven arts service organization with annual convenings, analogous to ROOTS' structure.
Direct peers
- National Performance Network (NPN): Member-driven national network of artists and arts service organizations. Operates a fiscal sponsorship program and regrants funds to performing and visual artists, structurally analogous to Alternate ROOTS' artist-driven model.
- South Arts: Regional arts organization serving the US South with state arts agency funding and grants to artists and organizations. Direct geographic overlap and parallel regional-funding mission.
- Fractured Atlas: National nonprofit providing fiscal sponsorship and insurance to independent artists and small arts groups. Closest functional peer to Alternate ROOTS' Fiscal Sponsorship Program.
- Creative Capital: National nonprofit providing career-stage grants and professional development to US-based artists. Comparable individual-artist funding model and complementary mission.
- MAP Fund: National grantmaking program supporting contemporary performance projects in the US. Comparable role as a regrantor for socially engaged Southern artists.
Broad incumbents
- National Endowment for the Arts: Federal agency that is the largest single funder of US arts activity. Indirect comparator that shapes ROOTS' funding landscape and often upstream-partners with regional funders.
Regional players
- Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation: Regional arts grantmaker serving Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, US Virgin Islands, and Virginia. Comparable regional-grantmaking model outside the South.
- New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA): Regional arts funder providing grants and professional development to artists in New England. Strong structural parallel—regional arts funding backbone—but operates in a different geography.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Alternate Roots, Inc. social profiles
Digital presenceAlternate Roots, Inc. compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Alternate Roots, Inc. financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Alternate Roots, Inc. leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Alternate Roots, Inc. funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Alternate Roots, Inc. M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Alternate Roots, Inc.
What does Alternate Roots, Inc. do?
Alternate ROOTS is a member-driven nonprofit coalition providing financial resources, professional development, and community-building services to artists and cultural workers in the US South. Core offerings include annual membership dues, direct grant funding through the Artistic Assistance program, fiscal sponsorship for small arts organizations, and the annual ROOTS Week retreat. The organization operates as a participatory network where Voting Members serve as the Board of Directors, with regional gatherings and Work Groups supporting members across 15 southern states.
Is Alternate Roots, Inc. a public or private company?
Alternate Roots, Inc. is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Alternate Roots, Inc. founded?
Alternate Roots, Inc. was founded in 1976. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Alternate Roots, Inc. based?
Alternate Roots, Inc. is headquartered in Atlanta, United States, in the North America region.
How does Alternate Roots, Inc. make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Membership Dues are the primary driver. The others are individual Donations, corporate/Organizational Sponsorship, fiscal Sponsorship Fees, in-Kind Gifts and ROOTS Week Registration.
Who are Alternate Roots, Inc.'s main competitors?
Others on record are National Assembly of State Arts Agencies (NASAA) and Dance/USA. Direct peers are National Performance Network (NPN), South Arts, Fractured Atlas, Creative Capital and MAP Fund. National Endowment for the Arts is listed as a broad incumbent. Regional players are Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation and New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA).
Does Alternate Roots, Inc. have an API?
No public API is recorded for Alternate Roots, Inc..
What industry is Alternate Roots, Inc. in?
Alternate Roots, Inc.'s product category is Arts Nonprofit Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAHAI, Indigenous, Ethnic & Folk Arts/Heritage Organizations. Its NAICS code is 813410 and its SIC code is 8600.